Baby Boomer Parents--Giving Up the Driver's Seat

A friend was telling us about an interesting talk given by the headmaster at her child's school. The talk was about letting our children grow up, using an analogy something like this:
When they're little, our kids sit in the back of the car in a car seat.
As they grow, they progress to seat belts and the front seat next to us.
Soon, we're giving them driving lessons.
OK---it's their turn---they're driving the car.

Baby Boomer parents seem to be singularly reluctant to let go. We've concentrated so much on our kids' sense of self-esteem and fulfillment that perhaps we've neglected the part about growing up, becoming independent and taking responsibility for their own lives. (Believe me---I am among the worst offenders in this.)

One indicator of this is the vast number of young adults returning home to live. Combined with difficult economic times, our willingness to live with our young adult children is delaying the empty nest indefinitely. I, for one, would be horrified by the thought of my college-age son resuming his teenage-style life in the house. In fact, when he has a few more minutes of college under his belt, I plan to turn his room into my office, a billiard hall, a storage facility, an auto shop----anything that will say, "Go forth and make a life."

An interesting article in Psychology Today addresses this subject.

In the meantime, what do you think? Is your welcome-mat always polished and ready for the stampede? Or do you, like me, feel ready for a new phase of life without kids?